A Sad Day In My World of Reefkeeping.
I'm extremely dedicated in the maintenance required to have a thriving Nano Reef Aquarium and it is definitely heartbreaking to come across an issue directly related to a common task in the Reek Keeping hobby. I normally don't have to clean my glass of Algae but I do so just to remove even the finest film that may adhere to the Internal Pane. I use a Mag-Float Small which is rated for use on Glass Aquariums up to 30 gallons with a maximum pane thickness of 3/16 Inch. Now at the time of my cleaning my Photoperiod had ended and the damage that was created was not noticable until the next morning. When the lights came on I could see multiple abrasive marking on the Internal Pane of the Aquarium Glass.
Photograph - Abrasive markings left behind after the use of my Mag-Float Algae Cleaner.
After a minor breakdown of sorts I reviewed some forum searches and found that scratching Nano Aquarium Glass is more common then you would think and not isolated only the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Aquariums. But nothing was described to be near the level of damage that I experienced. In turn I contacted Transworld Aquatic Enterprises Inc. and advised them of the situation. I explained that the possibility for a grain or multiple grains of substrate being caught between the Internal Mag-Float and the glass could not have caused the abrasive marking since the pattern clearly depicts the bottom of the Mag-Float and that I never keep my Mag-Floats within my Aquarium. The Mag-Float is also removed after use and before use I make sure that no foreign objects exist that could possibly cause something like this. After a supervisor reviewed the photographs Transworld Aquatic Enterprises Inc. advised that they are sending me a replacement Aquarium. Which is both a blessing and a curse. It is scheduled to arrive on January 07, 2008 and I will set it up shortly after.